In a major fillip to the previous UPA government’s ambitious Aadhaar project, PM Narendra Modi has sought the introduction of ‘Aadhaar-based biometric’ attendance systems at all Central government offices, a move that would be in line with his working style of closely monitoring the functioning of bureaucrats.

Interestingly, Modi is learnt to have expressed interest in this even before the July 5 meeting with senior ministers and top UIDAI officials, when he first put his weight behind Aadhaar and the Direct Benefits Transfer Scheme, giving both a much-needed lifeline.

According to government officials, he asked the Department of Electronics and Information Technology and the Cabinet Secretariat in June to work on an Aadhaar-based attendance system for all Central government offices in Delhi. Sources said while the PM had given a broad time-frame of one month, this remains a work in progress. The Cabinet Secretary is expected to send a communication to all ministries to this effect soon.

In such a system, the employee would be required to enter his or her Aadhaar number or a part of it, along with his biometric finger print. The system is already in use in both the UIDAI and the Planning Commission offices. At the Planning Commission, officials have to enter the last four digits of their Aadhaar number along with registering their finger prints. This system is also in place in Jharkhand.

Sources said this move will help in real-time online monitoring of the working hours of officials by their superiors.